Nearly Two Decades of Helping Oregon Seniors Protect Their Financial Dignity

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541-479-2415
The Oregon
Medicaid Experts

"I have been helping my mother take care of my father until we had to put him into a nursing home about a year ago. At that time we went to Medicaid and they told Mom that she would have to spend nearly $200,000 on his care before he could qualify for Medicaid. They also said that if she spent it on anything that wasn't for him that he would be disqualified. They scared her so much that she refused to replace the roof on their house (which was in very bad repair) or her car, which kept breaking down. She was afraid that he would never get Medicaid. It was from you that we learned the truth. Most of what she had been told was flat out wrong. She had every right to use their money for her benefit. She fixed the roof, bought a new car and turned $170,000 into an income (approved by Medicaid) for herself. Dad was on Medicaid within a couple of weeks. If it had not been for you she would have continued to write checks to the nursing home until over two thirds of their life's savings was gone. I can't tell you how much your knowledge and information has meant to our family."

OUR SERVICES

HOW THE FINANCIAL AID CENTER SERVICE WORKS

At The Financial Aid Center, we work with you to meet Oregon's Medicaid financial eligibility requirements. We provide our clients with a legally viable, customized strategy designed to help preserve assets, rather than spend them down on costly Nursing Home or other long-term care expenses. Once your information is gathered and reviewed, we develop and present a clear and concise plan for restructuring assets, designed to preserve and protect those assets. We then submit a complete financial report to the local Medicaid office and assist you in obtaining Medicaid approval for benefits.

INITIAL CONSULTATION

Our initial meeting is usually a telephone conversation. At that time, we'll learn about you, your family and the family member applying for Medicaid. If needed, however, we can meet with you face to face to review your family's situation in greater detail.

By the conclusion of this call, you'll learn valuable information/facts about applying for Medicaid, and why your decision to consult The Financial Aid Center was a sound one.

We'll also gather information regarding the applicant's finances to accurately assess the situation. Following is some of the information we will need to obtain and go over with you.

As part of Oregon's Medicaid financial eligibility requirements, you must pass BOTH, an Income Test and an Asset Test, in order to become eligible for Medicaid benefits.

INCOME TEST

The applicant's gross monthly income is counted, not the net amount the applicant receives after taxes and/or Medicare Part B premiums are deducted. Only the applicant's income is counted; the well-spouse's income is not counted for qualification purposes.

While each state implements Medicaid guidelines differently, Oregon is known as an "Income Cap" state. This means that if an applicant's gross income exceeds $2,205 per month, they would not pass the income test, nor initially qualify for Medicaid. However, since 1993, there has been a method to qualify, even if gross income exceeds the cap. An Income Cap (or Miller) Trust would have to be created, but that is a relatively simple procedure. We would arrange to have this done as part of our service.

ASSET TEST

The Asset Test is the second Medicaid financial requirement that must be met. In order to qualify, the patient cannot possess too many assets -- only $2,000 of "countable assets" are allowed. The Community Spouse, may keep as much as $120,900 of countable assets (depending on a number of factors). The secret of Medicaid asset protection is knowing how to turn excess assets into NON-COUNTABLE assets.

Understanding these tests, and learning how to manipulate them to your best advantage, is the primary reason you need to contact a knowledgeable Medicaid Eligibility Practitioner.

PROCESS FOR A MARRIED PATIENT:

If you choose to have us assist you and your family member qualify for Medicaid, we will perform the following services:

• Review, organize and evaluate financial documents as part of a full Resource Assessment.
• Develop and implement a plan to allow the patient to quickly qualify for Medicaid, while preserving most (if not all) of the value of the couple's assets for the benefit of the spouse.
• Present a complete financial report to the Medicaid caseworker.
• Follow up on any additional information and/or clarification the caseworker may require, and see the application through to approval.

PROCESS FOR A SINGLE PATIENT:

If you choose to have us assist you and your single (unmarried) family member qualify for Medicaid, we will perform the following services:

• Review, organize and evaluate financial documents as part of a full Resource Assessment.
• Develop and implement a plan to allow the patient to qualify for Medicaid at the earliest possible time, while preserving a significant portion of the assets for the benefit of the family.
• Present a complete financial report to the Medicaid caseworker.
• Follow up on any additional information and/or clarification the caseworker may require, and see the application through to approval.

HOW WE ARE COMPENSATED

We do not charge for our initial review and/or planning session. If and when the client decides to move forward with Medicaid qalification, there will usually be a fee charged at that time. Our normal fee is $1,900 for a married case and $2,500 for a single individual. We may also receive a commission from Medicaid-compliant annuities when they are utilized for optimizing asset preservation.

The Financial Aid Center
531 NE 'E' Street, Unit B
Grants Pass, OR 97526

541-479-2415
Fax: 541-476-2067